Mod R is taking time off, so I’m moderating. I know she sometimes explains why a comment was pulled. I don’t have time, unfortunately, so if your comment disappears, it was probably really off topic or it might have gotten flagged as spam.
Elias studied London from across the conference table. The man was lean, in good shape, with an expensive haircut and the kind of face most people would describe as attractive. He seemed ten years younger than his forty-five, and the way he sat, although not overtly confrontational, signaled that he was neither nervous nor afraid.
It was that easy confidence, coupled with innate ability, that first prompted Elias to promote London to leader of Assault Team 4 five years ago. People looked at London, saw that he wasn’t frightened, and trusted him to take them into the breach and bring them safely out. London appeared capable and stable, and in practice and training matches he outperformed most of the other higher tier Talents. A perfect candidate to lead an assault team.
He saw London differently now. What he’d previously mistaken for confidence was instead an ever-present air of polite entitlement. London lost most of his team, people who counted on him to keep them from harm, and he had escaped uninjured. Most guild members in that position would be sweating bullets right now. Not London.
He held himself as if this was a meeting of equals instead of a subordinate who’d made a major mistake and his boss who was not inclined to let it pass. He wasn’t impatient – that would’ve been impolite and London was never impolite. Rather he managed to make it clear that he considered this entire process a formality, a series of tedious procedural steps, at the end of which he would be released with all his troubles swept under the rug and forgotten.
On paper, he and London were not dissimilar. Both blade wardens, both in their mid to late 40’s, both with nearly a decade of gate diving. At one point, years ago, the gap between their abilities had been much shorter.
Elias had grown in power every year. Nine years after his awakening, he was stronger, faster, and more experienced than when he had started. He learned to imbue his blade, so his weapons cut through solid steel and stone. His shield lasted a full five seconds longer now than it had when he’d walked into his first gate, and each second was hard won through grueling training and life and death battles.
London hadn’t progressed at nearly the same pace. It might have been the limitations of their inborn abilities, but Elias had come to suspect that it was a limitation of will. London was happy in his current position within the guild. He was well compensated for taking a relatively low risk role, he had no immediate supervisor breathing down his neck, and he rarely spent a night in the breach. Elias could see the appeal. But he also knew that he, himself, would never be satisfied with just that.
He’d thought about it while rereading London’s file. Alexander Wright came from an upper middle-class family, had gone to a boarding school, followed that with Cambridge, and ended up with a job in finance. Affluent, comfortable, respectable, just as expected. Unfortunately for Wright, the market collapse following the first gates’ bursting bankrupted the firm he’d worked for and wiped out his personal wealth. He was forced to pivot.
This struggle was short-lived, since he’d conveniently awakened to his talent. Six months later he was in the US, making a name for himself as London, moving from smaller guilds to more prominent ones, until a Cold Chaos recruiter scouted him six years ago.
That seemed to be a trend with London. He led a charmed existence. It wasn’t that he didn’t experience adversity, it was that when a crisis occurred, another opportunity always presented itself. He was expected to do well and always land on his feet and had no doubt he would.
Elias had been in a state of crisis from the moment the gates opened. It never stopped. No exit ramp appeared, and if it had, he wasn’t sure he would’ve taken it.
His grandfather was a carpenter who got drafted during WWII and served with honor. His father enlisted in the Navy to escape Vietnam, because he knew he would eventually be drafted and wanted to choose where to serve. He ended up going career, retiring 20 years later, and picking up a civilian contractor job at the Department of Defense. Elias himself had gone to Virginia Military Institute, and his big rebellion consisted of accepting a commission in the Army instead of the Navy, partially to spite his dad. He was the first college graduate and the first officer in four generations of McFernons. To him, striving for advancement was a given. You always wanted to be better, to do more, to get that next rank, to excel, and to matter.
No matter where life took them, London would always slightly look down on him. The condescension of classism was so casual, London himself likely barely registered it. Normally Elias didn’t give a fuck what London – or anyone else – thought of him, but right now he needed to remind the escort captain of their respective roles. This wasn’t a business meeting. London wasn’t doing him a favor. He was called out on the carpet and had to account for his actions. The man was entirely too comfortable, and when people felt that comfortable, lying was effortless.
Elias would’ve liked to have this conversation back at HQ instead of Elmwood Library. It would’ve set a proper tone, but he, Leo, and London needed to remain on site. The protocol dictated that if an entire assault team was lost, the gate had to be guarded at all times in case of a sudden rupture. Elias had taken a very short excursion to the HQ today, because it was absolutely necessary, but from now on he and every other guild member were gate-bound.
Library or not, Elias needed to deliver a powerful, precise punch and knock the man off balance or he would never get to the bottom of this mess.
Elias leveled a heavy stare at London. “Is this another Lansing? If it is, you need to tell me now.”
London went pale.
That’s right. Remember how you landed in your current spot. Remember why you’re no longer the assault leader.
London leaned back in his chair, his expression indignant. “How much longer? How many times do I have to prove myself? Will you ever let it go? What do I have to do?”
Too easy. “Not losing an entire escort team and most of the miners would be a good start.”
The words hung between them.
The door swung open. Leo entered the room and sat on London’s left. They had coordinated this prior to the interview.
“That’s unfair,” London said. “Nobody could have stopped that. You couldn’t have stopped that.”
“I would have tried.”
“And you would have died.”
Elias pointed to the survey of the mining site printed on a large posterboard. “Walk me through it.”
London glanced at Leo. “I already spoke to the Vice-Guildmaster.”
“And now you’re speaking to me.” Elias leveled a heavy stare at London and paused to let the weight of his words sink in.
The escort captain shifted his weight to the side, leaning to his left in the chair, and crossed his arms. If they were standing instead of sitting in the office, his shield would be up.
Elias leaned forward, taking up more of London’s view, communicating that the table between them wasn’t much of a barrier. His speech was unhurried.
“You know what’s so easy about telling the truth? It’s always the same. You don’t have to think, you don’t have to keep track of it. It never changes. Start with the moment you entered the gate. You were four minutes behind schedule. Why?”
London sighed. “Ms. Moore had an emergency phone call regarding her daughter. I judged it to be in the best interest of the guild to allow her to resolve that situation before we went in. That way she could be more fully focused on the assessing.”
Elias had spoken with Adaline’s children this morning, after he drove to HQ at sunrise. Haze had put them into the HQ’s guest apartments, and when Elias came to visit, he was greeted by two scared kids and an upset cream-colored cat. The cat hissed at him. The children wanted to know if their mother was dead. He wanted to know that too.
“What happened next?” Elias pressed.
“We entered the breach and proceeded to the mining site.” London pointed to the survey. “We walked for approximately twelve minutes. The transit was uneventful. Seven minutes in we encountered a group of deceased hostiles, which identified as a variant of Moody’s stalkers…”
The story was largely the same as the notes Elias had read: they got to the site, started mining, then five hostiles emerged from the tunnels and slaughtered everyone. According to London, he saved whom he could by collapsing the entrance. This time though, he mentioned the gold in addition to the adamantite.
“You omitted the discovery of the gold in your original interview. Why?”
“It was not relevant. I was focused on conveying the nature of the threat.”
“Fourteen people died or are presumed dead,” Elias said. “Everything is relevant.”
“I know,” the exasperation was clear in London’s voice. “I can count.”
He wasn’t completely lying, Elias reflected. His physical responses when recounting the attack matched those of someone who lived through a near death experience. Whatever happened scared the hell out of London, and that was precisely the problem.
At his side Leo sat slightly straighter. Elias kept looking straight ahead. No, not yet.
“In your opinion, was the mining site secure?”
London unlocked his teeth. “No.”
“What steps would you have taken to make the mining site secure?”
“I would have collapsed the north access tunnels.”
“Why didn’t you?”
London grimaced. “It wasn’t my call.”
And it went exactly the way Elias expected it to go. London was shifting as much of the blame on Malcolm as he could get away with, and Malcolm wasn’t here to defend himself.
Elias glanced at Leo. Now.
“Did you review the survey with Assault Team Leader Malcolm?” Leo asked.
“I did. You have a record of that meeting.”
“Did Malcolm specify how he selected the mining site?” Elias asked.
“Again, you have the record of the meeting. He selected the site based on the visible mineral deposits of malachite and copper-bearing ores in the walls, the size and relative stability of the cavern, and the proximity to the gate.”
“Were you aware of the risks the tunnels posed?” Leo asked.
“Yes.”
“Did you raise those concerns with Malcolm?” Elias asked.
“I did.”
“What rationale did Malcolm give you for leaving the tunnels intact?” Leo asked.
“He thought he might require an alternate route to the anchor.”
“Why not just collapse the tunnels and dig through if needed?” Elias asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Why didn’t you collapse the tunnels after getting to the site?” Leo asked.
London stared at him for a second. “Because it is not my call.” He bit the words off.
“The security of the mining site is your call. You are responsible for the safety of the escorts and the miners,” Elias countered. “Do you understand the scope of your duties, Escort Captain Wright?”
London glared at him. Angry red blotches colored his face.
“Malcolm wanted to keep the tunnels open. I brought up the possible risk. Malcolm reiterated his desire to keep the tunnels open. The survey showed no predators larger than the stalkers, and my team was well equipped to handle the stalkers. I requested a secondary sweep of a half mile from the entrance to the tunnels. The scout confirmed the sweep was done. You are not going to hang this on me. Malcolm fucked up. Malcolm is dead.”
It was all pouring out. They broke him.
“We can split hairs all day, but in the end, all of us in this room know that the ultimate responsibility lies with the assault leader. As the escort captain, I must maintain a good working relationship with the assault leader. That is the system that you put in place. You put Malcolm in that position, and you put me in my position.”
Shifting the blame again. If it wasn’t his fault, it was Malcolm, and if it wasn’t Malcolm, the system and the guild were to blame.
“Malcolm and I respected each other. I was not going to go behind his back, because I had to work with him in the future. I brought three people out with me, three people who otherwise would have been dead. I am not going to take the blame for what happened. This outrage and scrutiny are disingenuous. A fatal event happened; people died. People die in breaches every day. This was no different. Either get used to it or get out of the game.”
London’s brain finally caught up with his mouth. He shut up.
Nobody said anything.
“You can judge all you want,” London said. “But you weren’t there. You didn’t see them. The speed… They were so fast, they blurred. My reaction time is half that of an average human and I couldn’t follow it. Elias, seriously, whatever assault team would have been in that fucking cave, none of them would have made it. You want me to say I ran? Yeah, I did. Like I told you, I saved who I could and got out.”
Elias leaned forward. “Look me in the eye and tell me that everyone else in that cave was dead when you threw the grenade.”
“They were dead. All of them. The miners, the K-9, the scout – everyone was dead. I saw the DeBRA cut to pieces. You have my word.”
They hounded London for the next ten minutes, but they didn’t get anything else. Elias knew they wouldn’t. In the end, they told him to stay put at the site and let him go.
Elias leaned back in his chair. London was lying. It was in the eyes. That direct unblinking stare when he said, “You have my word.”
“It wasn’t the gold,” Leo muttered.
“It wasn’t.”
London’s demeanor confirmed what Elias already deduced from the record of the survey meeting. He didn’t know about the gold, and he didn’t see it as relevant.
No, this problem ran deeper.
Leo steepled his fingers, his tone methodical, almost clinical.
“Assault Team 3 is the best performing team in the yellow and orange tiers. Malcolm and London worked together frequently. London saw him as his professional equal. In his mind, they were laterally positioned. If he pushed against Malcolm, there would’ve been tension and conflict. London abhors tension. He didn’t want to rock the boat. Was it a misguided professional courtesy?”
“And professional arrogance,” Elias said. “You heard him. Nothing larger than a stalker was found. Breaches are unpredictable. Nothing can be taken for granted. He’s grown complacent.”
Leo’s eyes flashed with white. “He’s lying. I can’t prove it, but I feel it.”
“It’s the lack of guilt,” Elias told him. “You go in and lose your whole team. You’re going to be pretty fucked up. Maybe catatonic. I’ve had to put people on suicide watches before. He’s too aggressive, too confrontational. He’s absolved himself of all responsibility. He’s right about one thing – I put him into that position. The buck stops with me.”
“It’s been three years since Lansing,” Leo said. “He hasn’t fucked up until now.”
“That we know of. One of two things happened in that breach. Either London is telling the truth, and he is a hero who saved three miners, or he is a coward who abandoned his team to their death.”
“Which do you think it is?” Leo asked.
“I think he saw something that terrified him, and he bugged out. The only way to prove what happened is to examine the mining site and the bodies, assuming there is anything left of them. I need cause to remove him from his position.”
“And with Melissa backing him up, we don’t have any.” Leo frowned. “If we demote him, it will look like we made him into a scapegoat.”
“That’s not our biggest problem. If we demote him without proof, he will jump ship to Guardian or any other guild willing to take him. He looks good on paper. He will aim for the escort captain again, because he likes that job, and the next time shit hits the fan, more people will die.” Elias exhaled. “We need to get into that breach ASAP.”
“Agreed,” Leo said.
“Did you find Jackson?” Elias asked.
“Not yet. We’re doing everything we can.”
“I know.”
Sitting on his hands was driving him out of his skin, but going into that breach without a healer was suicide. Whether London lied or told the truth, something took out Malcolm’s assault team. He couldn’t risk any more lives.
“You need to rest, sir,” Leo said quietly.
Elias looked up. Outside the window the morning was in full swing. He’d slept four hours in the last forty-eight.
“We have bunks set up downstairs,” Leo said. “If anything happens, if I hear anything, I’ll wake you up.”
Elias didn’t feel like sleeping, but his body needed it, and he knew he would pass out the moment his head hit a pillow.
“Wake me up as soon as you find Jackson.”
“I will, sir.”
First?
First. Certified. 🙂
He he nice! Love the new hair Ilona!
I didn’t even notice until now. Are those ears or horns. I can’t tell.
They’re little devil horns, like on a headband.
First?
Second, but still fast.
I feel like I’m part of the crew of seagulls from Finding Nemo 😂
Mine. Mine.
First?!
Third. 🙂
First?
Fourth.
first?
Fifth. And we have our top 5.
Tried
Thank you!
Thanks for writing.
not first but close!
Thank you very much! I hope all is well with you all!
Uh oh mama I is moderating us today 😊
That’s right. 🙂
Woo hoo, its Friday!
lol, how many of us were lurking for the past 20 minutes, pressing refresh every 10 seconds in the hopes of the blog post appearing? ☺️❤️ Also: GASP! The Elias and London scene????? I have been waiting (so chalantly) for this one!
You weren’t the only one!
Ditto! I’m hooked
I tried to be first today – kept refreshing – oh well, better luck next time 🙂
Thank you for writing and sharing! I’ve had a few sleepless nights with the teething kiddo and it really helps to have an amazing story to look forward to every Friday and Monday!
My little is napping on me as I read. Mom’s of Tinies unite! In what? In bleary-eyed reading & being grateful it’s a blog post and not a novel I can accidentally binge read, losing sleep I can’t afford to lose!
I finally got my little one to sleep in a way I could read this in peace …days after it posted 😂
So good!!! I needed this – I’ve had a crummy week. Thank you.
Man I was refreshing for the last half hour and when it finally showed it said it had been up for 10 min and already 25 comments!?
I didn’t see it when I refreshed the blog view many many times myself. Today I tried opening the squirrel story and find the link at the bottom. I’ve had the problem with the blog view not updating until hours later before. I am hope this new path I discovered will work in the future.
It depends on your browser’s caching. It saves a snapshot of the site to load it faster. Sometimes holding CTRL down while reloading will clear it.
I really wish we could see the look on London’s face when he realises Ada is still alive.
He better hope that Ada is not within killing distance when he sees her! (Really, especially if she sees him first.) All things considered, there might b an incident, and nobody wants that. But I can’t imagine London will b allowed back into this breech. Also, who knows what new powers Ada and Bear will have by then? I’m imagining laser beam eyes…
I can wait to see her new fighting skills against his 3 second shield. I reckon she’ll be angry, but let him live.
I hope she gut punches him, Bear bites his but and then he gets publicly fired for cowardice!
+1. My fingers twitched when I read that bit (on my phone). I had the impulse to hit the spot on my Kindle that would let me flip to the end and page back till i found that scene. Blergh, I need more
p@t;€nc€!
oooh I can’t wait, it will be a glorious scene, I’m sure
Exactly! it was a great snippet.
Happy weekend all!
Thank you for another great addition, I’m so loving this story!!! 🙂 Happy Friday to all and I hope Gordon is feeling better.
I was seriously abusing the refresh button and yet despite that, there are 26 comments already when I finish reading the chapter. Wow, we are a determined bunch…
Love the chapter, thank you! Have a lovely weekend and best wishes for your hands and Gordon’s recovery!
I have a sneaky suspicion that folks are jumping straight to the comments to post theirs and get there without reading. That must be a crime somewhere.
lol, I don’t think it’s a crime, it’s a good old fashioned race to pay the first comment 🤣
Oh this made the end of my afternoon perfect 🤩
Politics & management, the bane of getting the job done. Well the need for them.
Also, is anyone else getting Innkeeper/Edge crossover vibes? First the Lees last week, and now flashing down his weapon?
I was getting Kinsmen vibes. The blades, the shields, the practicing.
Not to mention the stalkers from Clean Sweep. It’s a different species and yet, definitely innkeeper vibe.
Yesssss I have been waiting for this conversation. So good! I can’t wait until Monday. 😀 Thanks for the wonderful chapter, as always.
look straight in the eye and lie…. London, you’ll get what’s coming. Bear is extremely mad at you
Looking forward to Monday.
Thanks IA
This is so good and the wait for the next part is driving me mad every week.
In complete harmony though (because I‘m rereading Innkeeper).
LMAO. Ah yes, all the harmony. While killing the enemies. 🤣
awesome!
I want moreeeee!
thank you!!!
I hope Gordon’s recovery advances quickly!
London is on the running for Monty Python’s Upper Class Twit of the Year.
Thank you for the deepening background stuff. If he never actually faced adversity, no wonder he ran. And if he never failed and had to take responsibility for his actions, no wonder it’s not his fault.
He’s just not a very good human.
I’d rather have Bear by my side going in.
(p.s. I will never be first so I am just glad to be this near the top of the comments.)
… IN the running…. Sheesh
As a Brit I’d say he’s like an awful lot of our public (ie top private school in US terms) then Oxbridge (equivalent to Ivy league)then cushy job in the city types, totally self-interested, no care for anyone outside their type, and absolutely no idea how the rest of us live. I was born and brought up in Oxford, in my late teens I encountered plenty of them in their student days, their parents had paid a lot of money to ensure they knew the right people, so they always fail upwards, and worse they feel they are entitled to do so. Gordon and Ilona painted such a clear picture of London I could place him immediately.
I feel like the title needs to read meanwhile back at the ranch.
Thank you for share your imagination with us. I look forward to installment days. I do Audible, but am willing to buy the ebook and later the audiobook when it comes out as I am so hooked on this story that I want whatever version I can get when it is finished.
Leaving now to have a talk with myself about the need for p*tience and not crowding artists when they are at work. 🙂
We are in talks for audio, with hopefully a split POV happening. 🙂
What fun! May your negotiations go swiftly and well, Ilona.
Ooo! That sounds good! Love split POV.
♡
Awesome end to the week; thank you so much! Elias and ModR are taking time off. Coincidence?
lol
🤔🧐
Hmmm…
Nooooo, but what about Roman?? I mean, who do u think got Mod.R snowboarding privileges in Nav?
we’re now launching ships in nav and in libraries? he he
now the wait until Monday … thank you for this bit. looking forward to more, buying it and reading it straight through then listening to it and well likely repeating that process.
His lying eyes told the story.
Love that they brought the cream-colored cat too. Thanks.
London bridge is falling down. He’s going to get caught. They’re going to get caught. What has happened to Jackson. Is it somehow related, or just coincidence. I really enjoy these chapters. Can’t wait to see what is next
Can’t help feeling there’s also an underlying theft,revenge or undermining thing going on- Just know there’s a surprise from house Andrew’s (typo fixed ~ Ilona)
Just, typo😳
Well yes he is going to get caught. Lie that jumps out is the dog bit the dust. Go in an no dog carcass plus paw prints leading AWAY = dog under its own motion so no way it got carved up. No blood from bear either at least not there. Next no body remains for Ada, and bodies have missing items clearly taken. Head was moved to be with the headless body, clearly something/one did that. Boot prints from Ada leading away… clearly she and Bear were there and not hacked to pieces. I am sure there are alot of other things pointing to survior(s). I think London thinks the will go into the breach, find everyone dead and be done with it. He won’t/can’t know Ada survived and Bear too…
Yeah, that grenade should have cleared things up.
Is hopping from foot to foot, yelling “Get him Elias,” acceptable BDH behavior? Asking for a friend.
Such a great snippet.
🤣👍
Yes, it is 🙂 Absolutely 🙂
Uhmm … no. I think proper BDH etiquette is to wait a few instalments and then yell “SIC ‘EM, Bear!!!”
Perfectly acceptable!
Thx! Glad Monday is just a few days away! Great pic and well wishes Gordon.
sooooo gooood!!! thank you for these chapters! it gives me a welcome break from packing for a move.
Another enjoyable chapter.
Excellent! I’ve been waiting to see London sweat.
Saw Ada in pieces, did he? Won’t SHE be surprised to know that? And won’t he be surprised to see her walk out, along with her dead dog.
Thanks, House Andrews! This story is awesome!
To be fair, she was pretty cut up before the Blue Lady. But he did look right at her and just take off. Bad human!
He looked right at her, threw a grenade at her, and then left her for dead. Actively trying to kill teammates so he can escape is much worse than just running away. I have no doubt that London thinks everyone else is dead. I wonder if Bear will b holding a grudge? (Again, I’m voting for laser beam eyes, although I could also see Bear just lunging at London. Bear’s having a hard day, too!)
Bear is the epitome of chalant, elegance, and grace under fire. London’s a Blade Warden? Pft. Talk to the paw until you get to BEAR WARDEN class. 😉
“Talk to the paw…” 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Along with the paw, talk to Bear’s behind with no tail wagging. That will be one ticked off dog.
Yeah, she is! I will b using ‘talk to the paw’! Awesome! Hmm, I feel like they will need to invent a new class of powers to describe Ada once she’s back home. Maybe it will b ‘Bear warden’…
Oh thank you! This was soooo delicious! Now, I have to reread again and search for tiny bits of clues 🙂
Thank you for the part. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next.
London the louse hope he gets what he deserves
I know I say this every time, but the suspense might kill me.
Thank you!
It’s really going to hit the fan in London’s life. I can’t wait!
I knew I should have held it! oh well.
Thank you!
Oh, I’m so happy! But also, I can’t seem to be able to stop my evil self from hissing inside my head – ‘When do they meeeeeeet?!?!’:D
I love this story and can’t wait to give you my money. Thank you so much.
Ooooo, the smackdown is on! Won’t London be surprised and sweating bullets when Ada and Bear come back supposedly from the dead.
Also, I can’t wait to read Elias’s reaction when he finds Ada and Bear.
To be continued Monday!
Yes! to all of this! The anticipation is delightful. 🙂
If he gets wind of it beforehand no doubt he’s going to try and bolt.
This instalment is so good. I’m so glad they aren’t buying London’s lies.
I also love how it highlights the similarities and differences between London and Elias.
thinking the same so glad for their build in lie detector!!
thank you for the story.
now we need a prequel on Lansing!
has Leo commiserating with Melissa already happened?
I’m a little surprised Elias didn’t grill London more on the hostiles, get all the info he could to make a plan to survive another encounter.
Oooh, more Elias, I will confess that I was hoping for more Ada. But I’m definitely okay with Elias. Hopefully Ada will be back Monday. Something to look forward too. Well I AM already looking forward to Monday, but a Monday with Ada will be especially good. Never thought I’d ever say that about a Monday. Thank you Ilona for all you do. 0_0
I’m trying to picture the map of where Ada and Bear are going. I know they are trying for the gate, which is to the left(?) of the Death Cavern. Did Ada take the tunnel to the most left out of the Cavern? Then, is she always trying to bear (heh,heh,heh) left while moving/running/fighting?
My starting point is the map back in one of the episodes.
Thanks to anyone who can help. I like to know my bearings (heh, heh,again)
In Chapter 4, Part 2, before going into the tunnels from the Death Cavern, Ada tells Bear that “the exit is to our left. This is the closest tunnel to it. The other two branch off to the right” and she specifies that she is trying to get back to the gate. The map you are referring to is in Chapter 5, Part 1. My recollection is that Ada’s decisions about direction have been mostly determined by the fact that she has one option that isn’t death.
More specifically, the end of the tunnel she takes in 4.2 is the lake with the dragon. They make it beyond the lake, but then they are met with “a seven-foot ledge…There was no way down.” In 5.2, they go through a fissure in the wall of the lake cave (direction unspecified). In 5.3 they continue through “the stalker tunnels”, so named because beyond the fissure are lots of stalkers. In 6.2 Ada and Bear recover from the deadly pollen in a little cave in the stalker tunnels, which is the cave with the paintings that we learn about in 6.3. Directionally, we just know that the BDH-named lees cave is a 20 minute walk from the furthest point Ada has been and that part of that 20 minutes is across a 27 yards long stone bridge. That brings us to the present.
Hope that helps!
“Bear left.”
“Right, frog.”
– Kermit & Fozzie, “The Muppet Movie”
“Ah, a Bear in his natural habitat … a Studebaker!”
Bet Bear (and Ada) would like to have a Studebaker right now!
Also, @mz – allow me to give you a more precise answer than @Lyndee did, based upon my own very very highly developed sense of direction:
Ada and Bear are currently in a cave system … 🙂
Just read this and thank you for the precision LOL
Yasssss
Thank you….
Soooooo good.
Great to learn Elias’s background — to know where’s coming from and what he’s motivated by.
Jackson is kidnapped for his healing powers. I assume top tier healer have close to base human’s stats so it’s not actually harder to kidnap them.
yep, that’s what I’m thinking too…stalker heart mocktails for everyone….
Why wouldn’t his talent work to make his own body as perfect/optimal as possible (like the CAPTAIN AMERICA serum did)? Weight lifting is tearing of the muscles to rebuild slightly larger. His talent could put a year’s worth of weightroom work into an afternoon.
If Elias’s talent is analogous to the super soldier serum, then maybe his aging is also slowed down like Captain America?
*whispered: and if Elias and Ada have decelerated aging, then that provides infinite lifetime availability for more stories??? For a series???*
On the one hand, I desperately want them to enter the breach already. On the other, I absolutely love the way you add depth and background to the story. So many authors either skip the background stuff so characters feel one dimensional, or they wander off and get lost in it somewhere. You guys handle it so perfectly. Thank you for the end of the week pick-me-up!
“You have my word.” Ugh.
Trouble is, his word is not good.
Thank you for the snippet! Hooray us! Also, I think it’s fun when mom’s in charge. 😉
I’m excited for London and Melissa’s lies and cowardice to be found out. And interesting that he doesn’t use Ada’s name, and instead calls her the DeBRA – depersonalizing after she called for help and he ignored it?
Good catch!
Well that’s interesting. So all we really have on London at the moment is saving himself at all costs, even that of killing his people by throwing a bomb at them instead of waiting for them. Wow. I do wonder how he rationalized that one and presents zero guilt.
Thanks so much! Really enjoyed this and can hardly wait for Monday now. Never thought I’d say those words 🤣
Rationalizes because to him (and his classist view which Elias notes), those people are less important. The most important to London is LONDON. And he got out. So, to him, it’s all good. Besides, he’s clearly already justified in his mind that it’s not his fault. It’s Malcolm’s fault, and if it’s not Malcolm’s fault it’s Elias’ fault, and if not Elias, then the guild. Clearly it COULDN’T be his fault. (London = A**h*le.). Beautifully done and I definitely know people (and have had managers) like this. Nothing is ever their fault.
US President Truman (who had been an artillery officer in WW1) famously had a sign on his desk that said: “The buck stops here.”
Unfortunately, many people in positions of responsibility seem to have a sign on their desk that reads: “The buck only stops here after all attempts to pass it on to someone else have failed.”
London is clearly one of them. And he has worked long and hard to perfect his passing technique. In fact, he is so good at it that when he passes the buck institutionally, he also includes as a bonus any personal sense of guilt that might have briefly inconvenienced him.
I want to know about Lansing. I went back and looked for it, but due to time constraints couldn’t find it. Or maybe I imagined that it was mentioned previously. It will have to wait on a more leisurely reread.
I don’t *need* to know about Lansing though. We can infer from this installment that London screwed up badly there, so this is not his first strike.
Ooooh, where is the elusive Jackson? Can’t wait to find out, so they can enter the breach. A1 as always.
Thank you so very much. I am loving this story!!!
Ooooh, so good!
Not the gold, eh? I wonder what Malcolm promised him to make their partnership more important than his team’s safety?
And could I heart Elias any more? He let the kids bring their cat! <3
Thank you so much for this story and for all of your posts. My Friday started off rough and I really needed something to take my mind off things for a few minutes.
Ohhh this is getting better each week. Thank you
Malcolm liked to take risks . He likely had gambling problem , some one helped him hid it . My guess is another guild with ties to organized crime. This guild will try to take them out . Firs t delay team with kidnaped healer and then try to offer help in clearing the breach . It assassination’s attempt on Elias .
The GUILD WARS have started.
Okay, I’m in – this sounds about right.
Not everyone gambles with money. For people who gamble with lives, or just with reputations, gambling with money could seem too tame to bother with.
Yeah Elias! I really want to see the smack down when Elias proves London wrong.
Actually, remembering that London killed a miner, I would like to have a „Highlander“ end for London. (Cue Queen: „Don“t lose your head“).
Yeah, a bit bloodthirsty, I know.
After reading your comment, I just had Def Leppard’s “Truth (Original Version) go through my head.
Very appropriate after reading today’s snippet. 😉😁
Oh my goodness, this is so good! I feel like I’m right in the story, like a fly on a wall. Thank you! I hope Gordon is doing well with his shoulder and that you, Ilona are well too.
Oh love this. Where is it going – lost co-workers (or kidnapped). The kids have their cat too.
I love HA is such animal ppl….if you ever write and book w/o a pet I would be very surprised.
I don’t remember a pet in Fated Blades, or really any of the Kinsman books. But yes, pets are family, and I’m always happy with the way HA handles their inclusion.
Sooo good! Thank you 😍
what happened to Jackson?🤔
dead by other strange creatures or elope to get married in Vegas?
I’m hoping Jackson is decompressing in Tokyo Disney Resort. A healer of that quality deserves to recharge while Ada rescues herself, getting stronger ans more immune along the way.
but he has gone missing, so that is strange.
Last minute bonsai sale! He was in Japan. It could happen…
I’m assuming that whoever the second choice for healer(s?) is has already been called to the breech, and at worst, is on the way.
I’m addicted, loving this story!
Love the Elias POV. Can’t wait until Ada shoves her blue knives right in London’s gut.
Honestly – to me the most satisfying solution to London’s existence would be Ada figuring out a way to injure him so that he is ineligible for gate jumping going forward. He should get to live his life with the appropriate remorse and lack of opportunities – two things that he has so far avoided all his life.
I have been picturing Ada doing a Black Knight on him like King Arthur in Monty Python’s Holy Grail. Leave him alive and healthy but with four prosthetic limbs.
He can then spend the next 20 years being exhibited as the Guilds’ Horrible Example to all new recruits. (“This is what happens if you betray your teammates or backstab a DeBRA… Don’t be a London!”)
^this^
Absent a religious experience on the order of a lightning strike, he likely won’t ever feel remorse, but the lack of opportunities and consequent loss of reputation and status – those would really hurt.
Really getting good!! Can’t wait for the meet up in the cave. I hope London doesn’t bolt. I hope we get to see how Ada upgrades work in new caves and in the real world.
I am really hoping the government doesn’t try to make her and Bear disappear to turn them into an experimental subject. And if the do I hope Elias stops them
Also I am so grateful for the story. Just went through back surgery Friday so it gave me something to look forward too
Woohoo! The eagerly awaited Elias/Leo/London scene does not disappoint! Thank you for this epic juxtaposition of self-reflected responsibility and self-centered entitlement. (Chalantly chanting: competence porn, competence porn, …)
I am so looking forward to a „resurrected“ Ada looking London in the eyes.
Quick read, then walk the dog before it hits 100. Let the info cogitate as I walk. Reread over breakfast. I have decided the best way to knock London way down off his high horse is for Ada to come across some or all of the assault team and rescue them in addition to herself and Bear.
Oooo, yes! That would b awesome! The extreme case would Ada and Bear finding the anchor and a few survivors who know the way back. They destroy the anchor and hobble for home. They emerge from the breech just as the ‘rescue’ crew is preparing to enter. Pictures of Ada and Bear r on the front page of everything. Despite this, Ada’s new ‘look’ does not catch on.
… and I love that Talent can grow through commitment and dedicated training. It’s not just what you have; it’s what you choose to do with it.
+10. That’s how talent works in this world too. Mozart, Prince, Grace Hopper, Simone de Beauvoir, just a few examples of innate talent fertilized by the application of will, determination and vision.
I read A LOT of fantasy, and among my favorite tropes in the genre is a scene where a minor character plays a pivotal role in saving the day.
Although the character is nowhere near as powerful as the protagonist, they have learned and practiced and imagined the fullest use of the talent they DO have.
Any recommendations for this trope!! I love it, I’m sure I’ve read it outside of House Andrews, but more is always appreciated 🙂
Hi Sjik,
We have a blog policy to limit book recommendations to specific post clearly designated for this purpose, so this thread is now closed and all the replies will be deleted. 🙂
Recent LitRPG recommendations were made here:
https://ilona-andrews.com/blog/life-and-other-dishes/
and on this post: https://ilona-andrews.com/blog/back-to-life-back-to-reality-and-book-recommendation/
ohhh this is getting so good, man I want London to be found out as a liar.
omg on Elias find the truth.
now where is Jackson?
I love the updates but I’m sooo impatient. I want them to go in and find her. I know all the bureaucracy is needed and blah blah.
I’m just waiting for them to find out London is a lying sack of dung.
Hope Gordon is recovering well and your hands are better.
Love how Elias is not willing to pass the problem that is London on to another guild.
yes! this caught my eye too – Elias sees London as a problem for everyone, not just his company.
+100
Another expression of “The buck stops here.”
Yes to the health improvements, and yes to Elias not wanting London to be in a position to abandon or kill more people.
omg how is it that I feel more tension for the missing Jackson than the MC in the breach lol what fresh hell is coming OO
Yea, the kids and their cat(so pretty!) are safe! As far as I can tell, meeting with Ada’s kids was the compelling reason Elias went to HQ? Or was there something else? Or was it for him to sign legal papers accepting temporary custody?
Thanks so much for this post! I was hoping we’d see what Elias and Leo were doing.
It does seem like Ada and Bear have gone on a wandering path. I wonder if they will find the anchor? Although dangerous to destroy it without clearly knowing the path back.
So, it seems like London was put in overall command of a group 5 years ago. And eventually, things went poorly, leading to him being demoted to just commanding the escorts, about 3 years ago. But whatever happened in Lansing did not show him so badly that he was removed from any teams. Will we learn more about that incident? And they are two different units, with different number designations (3&4, I think). That part was a bit confusing.
I hope HA is recovering from the various medical issues! And wish Mod. R a well-earned rest. Tc.
And what will change due to the knowledge that is evolving in Ada due to the jewel? Early on when she started out, the reason for the gates and breaches was almost accessible to her. As she continues to make her way, what else will she learn?
Hi I’m new! I’m really enjoying this story. I love to hate London.
I wonder if Ada’s physical appearance is changing/evolving as well.
Welcome to the BDH (Book Devouring Horde)!
+1
Especially with the regeneration obtained from the hearts.
ooooooh My!!
I love this book.
I don’t like London 😠
Thank you and have a super weekend 😊
I can’t help but feel they are being too hard on London. I mean, WE know he’s a scumbag, but why should they? They trusted him enough to put him in that leadership position. And deflecting blame onto others is a sign of guilt.
Maybe finding out about Lansing will help clear that up?
People he was supposed to protect died. They were his responsibility and yet he is fine like it never happened. There is no guilt, no weight to the lives lost. And he seems to have a previous black mark on his file. So he is suspicious.
Absolutely! 14 people dead and he’s defensive? I think that’s suspicious. Also, that blue-eyed cat is gorgeous. Did you get a shadow Tuna or is that a stock photo???
He also came out of the breach without a scratch when he should have been battered.
Normally he would be the last out protecting the rear and herding everyone else out, or if worst came to worst, he was supposed to secure Ada and carry her out at any cost. But he came out clean, uninjured, defiant and with no sign of Ada.
‘Oh yeah she died whoopsie *shrug* not my fault.’
“They trusted him enough to put him in that leadership position.” Mistakes were made. Sticking with someone because you put them in a position is the management equivalent of the sunk costs fallacy in finance. Yes, loyalty can be a virtue where it is earned, but not when it leaves someone entitled to do more damage forevermore.
“And deflecting blame onto others is a sign of guilt.” Yes, and in London’s case, that sign is in large, blinking neon letters.
I do want to know more about Lansing, but we can infer already from the context that the information will not be favorable to London.
So good! Interesting how London doesn’t take responsibility for anything while Elias knows that he is ultimately responsible as the buck stops with him. Hope they find Jackson soon.
I do love me some psychological cat & mouse in an interview/ interrogation!! London should be more afraid of Leo than Elias, if he has any sense.
Hope you are both feeling better, and didn’t get whacked by the storms yesterday in the Austin area!!
thank you for another fantastic installment, so many questions on where is that healer, will they be able to get in to prove that Londons a big old lier.
so good. can’t wait until Monday.
also as an aside, I came via the main website to see if the episode had dropped and a saw the new profile photograph, love it in the library.
how you’re both well and recovering on the hands and shoulders front.
I was waiting to read this chapter until I had time to savor it… so worth the wait! The showdown between Elias and London was sooo good! The one between Ada and London will be even better! Hee hee!!
I’m glad Gordon is doing well and I think your hair looks lovely!
Another great layer to the story, somehow feel there is an underlining problem yet to be found. There are lots of moving pieces in this story. I am hooked. I hope you both are feeling better. Thank you!
I’m having a hard time remembering what London did wrong. I know it was his job to keep the others safe, but no one could have kept them safe. Are we mad at him for being alive?
Reading this chapter, London comes across as self-centered and complacent. But not wrong. It was Malcolm’s call to leave the tunnels open. He did question the decision, but ultimately respected his co-worker’s decision.
London’s job was to save everyone or die trying. He has an invulnerable shield. Instead of standing in that tunnel with his shield up and making sure that everyone running to the exit could escape, he threw a grenade at the fleeing people to save his own ass.
Remember, the miners were not actively targeted. They were just in the way. Another 30 seconds, and they would’ve been out of there. Instead they died, because he panicked. Perhaps a reread is in order. 🙂
Thanks, Ilona. It might be clearer to me if I was reading normally and had read the attack scene minutes ago. Btw, you’re hair is gorgeous in the Facebook picture 🙂
I know, it is a problem with so long between the sections. But we are 2/3 of the way through, so the whole thing should be available soon.
Thank you! My hair is short, but it will grow back.
I agree: the hair looks good in your new author photo. Not so sure about Gordon’s “smile” though… Maybe the tie was strangling him?
Sorry to hear that your change of hairstyle was involuntary due to a problem with some hair chemicals.
Actually, that reminds me: you are in good company – Princess Diana. When she first married Prince Charles, she was famous for her iconic and fashion-setting thick shoulder-length hair. Then, about a decade later, she suddenly changed to the short light bob that she wore for the rest of her life. It set a new fashion, especially in the UK.
And the reason she changed her hair style? An accident with a “flash-bang” grenade:
Charles and Diana were touring the regimental base of the SAS and were shown the training facility where the counter-terrorism squads trained for hostage rescue operations – including rescuing the British Royals if they were ever taken. Charles and Diana sportingly agreed to act as “hostages” for a training scenario. Unfortunately, when the team tossed the “flash-bang” grenades into the room to disorient the mock terrorists before storming in, one of the grenades bounced too close to Diana and the magnesium flare burned half the hair off one side of her head.
She disappeared from public view for a few days — and reappeared with that iconic short bob…
(One of the SAS officers involved spilled the beans about 20 years later in a post-retirement memoir.)
already 2/3 way through? I feel like I could read the same amount and more …. And this is won’t be a series? I am crying in my pillow now …..
whoa, this one had me holding my breath!! Excellent!!
Thank you so much!!! I really appreciate this effort! Wishing you a quiet weekend, quick healing and pleasant, benign weather!!!!
Poor bear. First he lives through hell, and now he’ll have to spend the rest of his days with a cat. 😁
And the cat will (with his cooperation) rule him, and he will (secretly) love it.. LOL
Not so sure. With cats, the females usually boss the males around. And Bear is female. If the cat is female too, then yes, the cat may well rule the roost. But if the cat is male, then Bear probably will.
another wonderful chapter!!!
My inner book goblin is hoping that this is longer than a novella — is there any chance to that or are my hopes dashed? It just feels like there’s a lot of story left to tell!
+1!
Thank you so much for this serial. I’m so enjoying reading it and perusing the comments.
Whether Elias gets to the cave and doesn’t find Ada’s body but sees her footprints leaving the scene and the results of her scavenging her dead comrades, or Ada gets herself out first, either way London’s goose is cooked because his lies will be revealed. I can’t wait.
Loving this serial! I want more!! OMG! Fantastic. Thank You!
I am so grateful for this story. I can hardly expect the Mondays ans Fridays….
What is Leo’s talent? His eyes are always flashing white. So what could it be?
He can form a shield.
Chapter 5.1: “A pure damage dealer, a Pulsecarver or a Stormsurge like Leo, would wreck more havoc.”
Thank you Terry! I read thet chapter again !
Oops, I’m wrong!
Thank you!
I am really loving this story. So, 2/3 done, when did you say it will be available for sale? Not pushing, just asking for a friend. ;o)
Also, I am shipping Elias and Ada, and they don’t even know each other, hehehe
2nd Also, I hope everyone is doing good and getting better.
I’m shipping them together too!
+1
Whatever Talent London has was obviously generated by his psychopathic (or is it sociopathic) tendencies: other people clearly don’t matter to him. He’ll shift the blame, lob unessential grenades, and calmly lie through his teeth. Shield seems like a great outgrowth of that.
Totally look forward to this story. Makes the day a good one, even with two medical appointments! Thank you guys.
a Haiku of lamentation
it’s a long time til
Friday. A damn long time ’til the
next piece of story.
Love it. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!!
ngl I was sad Hugh was put on hold but this serial is absolutely awesome. I can’t wait for Elias to go into the breach and see what really happened. Look forward to buying the ebook.
Also, loved the new promotional photo of y’all.
I love this and I hope it becomes a full novel or series! (I know, I’m sorry, y’all already write a lot, y’all are my favorite!
So, does London’s presence at the breach indicate that he’s going in also? Is he that confident that the evidence left behind will confirm the truth of his story? That seems to be a bit risky. He may not have a say in the matter, after all, he was the most senior surviving guild member, and would have the most knowledge of the site. But he’s going to be one sick puppy when retrieval team reaches the site and starts noting anomalies that cast doubt on his story. I saw Ada die. Oh, where’s the body then? Uh oh.
I think, when London made it out of the breach alive, he was ordered to stay there so that he could be interrogated by Elias and Leo ( like the other survivors). I don‘t think that it means he goes back into the breach. (Or at least, this is my understanding….)
A wonderful treat for my birthday! Thanks to House Andrews.
Happy birthday!!!!
As a group the BDH is insane, and I love it! You people are my tribe.
“All the world is crazy, except thee and me. And I’m not so sure about thee.”
Omgosh this is soooooo gooood! I can’t WAIT until London gets SHREDDED! Elias is gonna chew him up and spit him as soon as he gets proof. This if our heroine doesn’t do it first with her new skills **muahahaahaa!**
London is such a lying liar!! I want all bad things for him!! The very worst!! You left Ada AND THE DOG, you jerk face!!
OK, I’m done yelling at imaginary people. Thanks for this!! It makes Fridays that much more awesome.
The dog may have been left by herself if Ada had made it out. The dog was hiding, not running with everyone to the exit 😞
Thank you for another amazing installment! So glad you called an audible to have more Elias. Hope Gordon continues recovering.
Sending peace, health and safety to all!
For some reason, Leo is fast becoming my favorite character. He’s not a gopher or a yes-man. On the contrary, he seems at least as insightful as his boss, and an organizing whiz. He’s more confidant than assistant.
I guess I wish I had a Leo to organize stuff for me, too! Is he based on ModR, btw?
Now I want me a Leo too. In his suit. Because competence is one thing but competence in a sharp suit is on a whole other level
I desperately wanted Elias to ask London why he didn’t stay close to his DeBRA. Why he remained close to the entrance. His primary job when danger arises is to grab her, shield and run. He obviously can’t do that from a distance. He’s admitting that it was dangerous to leave those tunnels open, trying to get them to believe he unwillingly went along with that decision, yet that danger wasn’t enough to make him stay close to his protectee. It wasn’t enough to ask her not to go very far away.
Maybe they’re giving him rope and I can’t wait until Ada herself can ask him a whole host of questions.
Thank you! Thank you!
Btw, last? Lol
SOOOOOO good! Thank you! London is toast, crispy fried!
Thanks for this. makes my Friday.
I like the set up to take London down. so good! tyvm
We officially need a sequel. Because Ada isn’t just a DEBRA anymore. She has active powers. She has to join a guild. For her safety. Cause the goverment is clearly going to overstep and want to do experiments on her. Idk I’m not the author but we CLEARLY have to find out what happens AFTER she leaves the breach on the next episode of Dragon Ball Z!! Ahem – So therefore book 2 is must. Thank you for coming to my ted talk
I agree❣️
You are one of the very few one click authors left to me. So many of my favorites allowed their books to become formulaic or stale or just boring. I can’t wait for Maggie and now this! I really need an all enveloping, grab my imagination book right now, and so far no dice. I can’t wait until Monday.
Monday cannot come soon enough.
argh
Have a great weekend.
double argh
words escape me. except ..thank you
Ooh, I hope they get in there and find the proof to get rid of this rotter, roll on Tuesday. [ I’m down under ].
Love to see London rattled! TGIF, everyone!
This is going great; thank you! Can’t wait for the whole thing.
Wow, I am riveted by this story!
Thank you for the little cat.😽
Thank you. Excellent story!
Ooh, the tension is palpable. Can’t wait to see what happens next (but I shall be chalant). Thanks for the story!❤️
Had a wee issue with one sentence. ‘My reaction time is half that of an average human and I couldn’t follow it.’ To me it should read ‘ My reaction time is half ‘again’ that of an average human and I couldn’t follow it.
Nit picking, I know. Maybe it’s a crossing the pond language thing? Anyway thank you from a Nac Mac Feegle for another brilliant read, so enjoying this one. Great to have new characters and just love the dog, I hope she is going to get a whole lot of magic powers.
On this side of the pond, “half again” means 50% *longer*. London’s reaction time is presumably shorter.
He is twice as fast as an average human, therefore his reaction time – the time period from impulse to action – is 50% of the average human’s.
Okay, so if it takes an average human 30 seconds to react, London would react in 15.
Cliff hanger after cliff hanger…if I didn’t rely on them myself in my writing, I would be miffed. Must have more…
That is the nature of the serial. Focused scenes and strong finishes to every scene, or people forget what happened in the narrative. 🙂
This is a terrific story
Thank you! You are very kind.
Is this out yet to pre-order? Or is there a timeline? So good! Thanks for all the great stories!!!!
Whew! Soooo good! Many thanks.
London…I wonder if they’ll have him go into the gate with them again? Would he do it? I agree with Elias, London was frightened by what he saw. Though it’s still murky. Is there still more going on with London? I can’t wait for Ada to see London again. I also can’t wait to see them all find the new Ada and Bear! Loving this! Thank you!
OMG I need this book in its entirety!
Just out of curiosity….what happened to Hugh and Elara’s book?
I was so excited for the new book coming, as I loved the first one. (Must have read it 5 times already!)
When is the next book being released? Any book…I’m not fussy as long as it’s written by HA 😂😍
We are aiming for July with Inheritance.
I am loving this story so, so much!
thank you ✨
oh where is Lois McMasters Bujolds’ “fast-penta” when you need it. Where is Jackson? Elias has pulled through as the hero Ada needs- her kids and their cat is safe. Wishing my life away- can’t wait til Fridays’ new post.
Ahhhhh love it!!!! Elias is such a good boss. And person. And Talent. 🤩 Don’t believe a word out of London’s mouth!
I’m always so impressed by IA’s ability to create such rich, nuanced characters. London’s backstory here vs Elias’s really adds depth and relatability to them!
Loving it! Thank you!
I just had a thought about London and Malcom. What if Malcolm was blackmailing London for something, and was killed because Malcolm was going to bring it out in the open?
This whole thing between Malcolm and London is very suspicious. 🤨🤔
Now the Horde is playing Where’s Jackson? instead of Where’s Waldo? 🤣🤪
literary crack! yum yum yum I love crack! ok that’s a bit much 😆 but I do get a hit of serotonin when i see these emails.
can I get just one more? how about one sentence more? I got these cheeseburgers! I’ll give you these cheeseburgers for a hit…. iykyk
thanks andrews for the many hours of escapism
I love this story SOOOOO much—I cannot wa*t to buy the ebook!!!!! I would pay so much to get the whole thing right now 😭 I hope we get more stories about these characters sometime in the future! Everything you two write is *chef’s kiss*
+one million!
I’m in. Can’t wait to give you my money
I can feel the characters’ tension. Also, insights from Elias edify me: “What he’d previously mistaken for confidence was instead an ever-present air of polite entitlement” and “He’s too aggressive, too confrontational. He’s absolved himself of all responsibility.” I love it when I’m reading for enjoyment and end up learning something.
Another excellent installment. I definitely have a lot of NSFW thoughts about London. Lol
Ahh… This is such a great story. A great new universe. I can’t wait to read it all. At there is some small hope that it has a future as more than a novella. It is much to special to die as a novella. I hope.
I know HA said that it’s a novella for now. Now! For me this is hope that Later will bring more. This is the adamantite of stories. It just needs to be seen. I will do my part and get the book and spread the word about it.
Thank you HA for writing and sharing your imagination.
I wish all of you the best in health and fortune.
So good!!! Wheee!
Hey there, I read this is a one-off book but I’m obsessed and this is such a fun world you’re writing. So if minds are changed I’m here for it. Can’t wait to read the whole thing!!
Ah, Friday. Got my Magic Clams cup and settled in my recliner. Navigated to the blog and settled in.
Going to read the instalment and take a nap.
Life is good.
On reflection, the most satisfying thing I can imagine is: Ada and Bear emerge from the breach AFTER the ‘rescue crew’ has gone in has been looking is coming back out having concluded they have to blow the anchor and no signs of the DeBRA still alive much less the doggo. They decided she survived but then probably died due to the difficulty surviving in their without gear (toxic environment). Then as they emerge back out rescue crew and London come face to face with Ada and Bear. Oopsie. All those lovely lies go “poof”… wiggle and swiggle the worm can’t escape his fate… 🙂
I love this book!!!! Can’t wait for the next chapter! Can’t wait to buy the finished book! You guys write such great stuff. So glad I found Kate Daniels years ago. Thank you! Thank you! Hope you enjoy what’s left of the weekend.
I used to love going to the movies every summer, eating popcorn by the fistful, and perching on the edge of my seat anxiously waiting to see what would happen next. Reading this serial and waiting for the next chapter is like that, only so much better!
Thank you for always writing such great and entertaining stories…can’t wait for more!!!!
[typed that last bit as a true member of the BDH] 😂
What a beautiful kitty!!!
Thank you all so much for the wonderful serial. It brings so much joy and entertainment.
London is chopped liver! Not quite sure about M yet.
While Melissa could say that she didn’t know that their were survivors behind her once she entered the tunnels as she was in such a hurry. London made a huge mistake stating that all the people left behind had been sliced apart. He should have simply that everyone was dead as far as he knew. I assume he is depending on the stalkers and other creatures in the tunnels to take care of any cleanup.
If everyone really was dead, poor Bear would have been all alone. Would Bear have survived by herself long enough for the rescue crew to find her?
London has to say that he saw that the DeBRA was dead because if not, his primary duty is to get her out. Once she’s clearly dead, he can b rear guard for whoever else is alive. Probably it is his duty to b rear guard in that case. So the only way London is not at fault is if everyone else is dead and he knew it.
Someone else commented and I was wondering how London wasn’t close by Ada. I would think he should stick by the DeBRA’s side as SOP. She’s busy looking for treasure/danger and may not b as alert as one might wish to any emergent threats.
I’m sure that London told himself that Ada and the rest were as good as dead so him throwing a grenade and collapsing the escape tunnel didn’t make any difference to the outcome. So no reason for HIM to feel guilty. But that very lack of grief & guilt is raising all sorts of red flags. London just thinks he’s so clever that no one can see thru his lies. (Rolls eyes) I have faith that he’ll get his just rewards, just wondering who is going to serve them up. (Hoping it’s Bear, with laser beam eyes.)
Please read my post again. I said the mistake London made was saying that Ada had been sliced versus being dead. Let’s say the grenade had killed Ada she would be dead from being blasted apart vs being sliced. If the rescue team got back quickly enough and found the bodies they would have been questions regarding the method by which she had died and that would have raised even more red flags.
Hello to my absolute favorite author pair. I have read all the stories you have written, even the free ones, multiple times. 💖 (Full disclosure, I have not read all the blog)
Here’s my story about Inheritance.
A week and a half ago, I started what I call a Migraine storm, a period of time when I have frequent, short migraines. Between the pain and the meds, I sleep a lot.
The second day of the storm, I started obsessing about finishing a book I’d started. I searched my phone, looking in my reading apps, checking my Libby history. Nothing. My poor med brain was boggled. I could find no sign of it. I loved what I had read, it would make me feel better, I was convinced. All I had to do was finish the book and all would be well.
Enter Male Protagonist, AKA, my husband. The dearest man in the world to me. The one who makes my heart go pitapat and in this case, my Librarian. Literally, he’s head of IT at the library.
I tell (whine about) my problem caused by med head and migraine befuddlement. I write out as much of the plot as I remember (quite a bit, took hours to write as I nodded off several times while writing it) and emailed the plot to him.
I hoped that the other people at the library would be able to use it to find this Holey Grail of a book.
Then, I glanced in messenger, where pre migraine, I had sent the link to Inheritance to a friend.
I was so happy, I had not dreamt the book, it existed.
Then, the crash, The Book Was Not Finished.
Please keep up the good work, as you can tell, it 100% has me hooked. Using all my feeble brain power for days to try to find and finish it has to count for something.
HeatherBT
I am so sorry about your migraines. I hope you will feel better soon.
Thank you very much 💖
I’m still storming away here, but I have more clear times, so it should be going away.
Ooooh! I’m hanging on every word of this story – SOOOOOO good! Thank you!
This is my theory about Jackson. He found an earlier flight because of the urgent need for him to get there and didn’t have time to let Elias and Leo know about the earlier flight. Let’s hope!!!